


let me show you everything I know

by SeventhStrife



Series: AUideas Advent Calendar: 2016 [3]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, CEO Sephiroth, Cuddling, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Mechanic Cloud, a Screwed Sephiroth, a Soft and Sleepy Cloud, petting, sleepover, so much fluff tho it's ridiculous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2016-12-06
Packaged: 2018-09-06 22:18:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8771554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeventhStrife/pseuds/SeventhStrife
Summary: “Lovely" AU  
  
  Character A and Character B are at a sleepover, and Character A is feeling incredibly sleepy and sentimental – a mix of being up super late and coming down from a sugar high – and they can’t stop running their fingers through Character B’s hair and whispering sweet niceties to them. Character B is too enraptured by this soft side of Character A to pull away…but also because their legs are totally tangled together. 


Late at night, Sephiroth meets a Cloud he's never seen before.





	

Sephiroth was tired, but he didn’t dare close his eyes. If he did, Zack would no doubt think of some horrendous way to wake him up, like using a blow horn by his ear, or setting his phone’s flashlight to strobe and shining it in his face.

And then Sephiroth would have to kill him, which would be a shame because going to jail for manslaughter would really throw a wrench in his life plan and, even worse, Angeal would be  _ disappointed  _ in him.

Down the hall in Zack’s bedroom, Genesis was swearing loudly and with too much energy for the hour. He’d slunk off less than an hour ago, claiming to use the bathroom, but when too much time had passed, Zack had investigated and, from the sound of betrayed squawking, had found Genesis passed out.

And tonight Zack has decided that no one sleeps. It’s certainly a nice thought, if you ignore practicality. Between all of their busy work schedules, not to mention the minutiae of everyday life, all of them getting together in the same place is a rarity. They’ve done it tonight, and Zack refuses to let them squander any of their time together by resting. 

He’s certainly trying his best. He’d stocked his fridge with a variety of energy drinks, stuffed his cabinets full of sweets and candy, and watched them all with hawk-eyed intensity until they’d at least had two of the drinks. 

Sephiroth glanced across the couch, to where Cloud was a boneless heap beside him, and felt a rare moment of pity. Cloud, being Zack’s best friend, had it even worse. Zack wouldn’t be satisfied with the minimum effort from him. Sephiroth had lost count of the number of times Zack had shoved an energy shot, or a box of jelly beans or some unholy candy-concoction he’d come up with at Cloud, eyes bright and full of excitement.

Cloud had stoically surrendered to Zack’s will as all learned to do with him, grimacing more as the night wore on and the sugar rush left him drained. At least the crash meant Cloud stopped his worrying twitching, the near-fevered way he had to keep his body moving. Sephiroth was getting anxious just looking at him, he couldn’t imagine how that all felt.

Cloud and Sephiroth had taken up the couch. Angeal was sitting not far from them in a large armchair, and a work-friend of Zack’s named Reno wasn’t even pretending to be up, and laid sprawled out on the carpet, eyes closed and snoring. The TV was on an action movie Sephiroth didn’t care to follow. The constant barrage of blaring explosions and bullet-spray wasn’t enough to draw the room’s occupants from a half-dazed stare into the middle distance, although Sephiroth saw Angeal’s lips twitch into a small smile the longer Genesis yelled. 

He was getting quite creative and rather inventive with his promises of revenge.

Angeal glanced Sephiroth’s way when Zack let out a yell and an ominous crash echoed throughout the apartment.

“I should probably break that up.”

“Your puppy will never mature if you don’t let him learn from his mistakes.”

Angeal chuckled, heaving himself out of the chair he’d slowly sunk into all night. “I think this is one lesson he’s definitely learned.”

Angeal brushed by and out the room, and it was a good thing Sephiroth watched him go. When Angeal walked by the couch, it made Sephiroth notice Cloud, who was tipping to the side and was  _ seconds  _ away from a painful meeting with the floor.

Sephiroth darted out and snatched Cloud by his upper arms, tugging him back up with ease. They fell back to the couch in a heap, sprawled across the length of it. Cloud blinked owlishly at Sephiroth from where he lay, their faces only inches apart and their legs tangled together. They were both too tired to remove themselves.

“Thanks.” Cloud’s eyes were at half-mast, his voice a murmur. Cloud was always a quiet, somber person, but Sephiroth had never seen him like this, unguarded and soft, voice pitched to an intimate hush.

“You’re welcome.” Sephiroth’s reply was just as low, and he was suddenly aware of the inexplicable bubble they’d created for themselves. Genesis and Zack’s yelling, as well as Angeal’s fighting to make himself heard over them, faded into the background. Even Reno’s atrocious snoring was dulled.

Cloud sighed, a silent puff of breath that wafted a sharply sweet scent to Sephiroth’s nose.

“I’m so tired.”

“Sleep. I’m sure you could probably fit in a twenty-minute power nap before they come back out here.”

Cloud’s lips twitched. “Would you wake me up when you hear them coming?”

“I would.” Cloud had more than earned a respite from this evening’s madness.

He smiled truly, now, sincere and fond in a way Sephiroth had seen before, but never aimed at him. It was a surprisingly arresting look on him.

“My own guard dog, huh? What if you fall asleep?”

“I won’t. The thought of what Zack might do to me while I’m unconscious is enough to keep me awake.”

Cloud chuckled, shifting slightly. Their heads bumped, not painfully, just enough to remind them of how close they were, and the rocking of his body made Sephiroth realize his arms were still holding Cloud, loosely wrapped around his waist.

Faintly embarrassed to have forgotten himself, Sephiroth murmured an apology and pulled away. However, Cloud’s hand came up and rested over his, putting it back it’s place on his lower back.

“‘S fine. Feels good.” 

Sephiroth felt his heart jump at the words and glanced over Cloud cautiously, as if this might be some trick. Sephiroth was not a very tactile person, and Cloud even more so. But Cloud simply ignored his suspicious look, eyes tracing Sephiroth’s face as if it were the first time he’d taken the time to notice it. 

Sephiroth ran a fortune-five-hundred company and lived a life where he was always stared at, assessed, judged. He had never felt more nervous than he did now, late at night inches away from a mechanic and delivery boy watching him with kind blue eyes.

Cloud’s hand left Sephiroth’s and reach for his hair, considering a lock of silver.

“Must be expensive,” Cloud yawned, eyes fluttering shut a moment, before reluctantly opening, “Dying this much hair.”

“It’s natural.”

“Really? Huh…”

“A birth defect.”

Cloud’s eyes met his. “You don’t look defective to me.” He reached out and carded his fingers through Sephiroth’s hair, from scalp to tip. “You look very handsome.”

Sephiroth could feel heat on his cheeks, but he couldn’t tear himself away. He couldn’t remember the last time hands other than his own touched his hair. He couldn’t remember a time someone simply  _ played  _ with it. He found himself holding his breath, hoping the ministrations wouldn’t stop.

Thankfully, Cloud’s hand returned, and he began a slow, soothing petting, running his fingers through hair. Sephiroth could feel himself melting into the cushions. It felt so good…

“You’re a good person, too.” Cloud’s words brought Sephiroth to the surface of the pool of calm contemplation. “I thought you were a jerk when Zack first introduced us, but you’re just a big softie.”

Sephiroth arched a brow. “Hardly.”

“It’s true. You give so much money to charity. And you gave Genesis the money to start his acting career. And there was that time you dropped by work and filled in for my assistant.” Cloud yawned again, but it couldn’t destroy the affectionate smile on his face. “Wearing a three-piece suit and everything. Just rolled up your sleeves like it was nothing.”

Sephiroth shrugged off the praise, too comfortable to move, but feeling oddly trapped by Cloud’s words. “Money, a little oil. Nothing to give you such an inaccurate view of my character.”

“Modest too.” Cloud’s glance was sly. “And you’re here tonight. Staying up even though you’re a big fancy CEO that has work tomorrow, and listening to my rambling.”

“I like your rambling.”

“Mm-hm.” Cloud shook his head minutely. “Well, I like you. You’re a  _ good person.” _

“You’re sleep deprived.”

Cloud laughed at that, a barely audible, quiet thing that Sephiroth wanted to hoard close until the end of his days.

“You’re impossible.” Instead of continuing his stroking, Cloud’s hand traced the curve of Sephiroth’s cheek, his palm cupping while his fingers fanned out across his face. 

“Sometimes I wonder if you’re real.” Cloud’s confession was hushed, his eyes far away.

“What do you mean?” Sephiroth’s reply was a low rumble, suddenly desiring Cloud’s answer more than anything in the world, staying quiet so he didn’t scare off his answer.

“Your skin is so nice,” Cloud said, now caressing his features. “And your eyes…” Sephiroth felt Cloud’s thumb pass over the skin just beneath his eye, had to flutter them shut when Cloud brushed against his lashes. “Gorgeous.”

“Cloud…” Sephiroth’s voice felt tight. His body, weak. How could this man be destroying him with such gentle touches and words?

Cloud’s eyes dropped and his fingers traced the length of Sephiroth’s nose. “I like your nose, too.”

Sephiroth mustered a wry smile. “My nose, Cloud?” 

Cloud glared at him, sensing the teasing tone. “It’s a good nose.” He tapped the tip for emphasis, then continued mapping Sephiroth’s face. “Your lips, though…”

Cloud’s thumb traced his bottom lip slowly, back and forth, the tip of his finger brushing against his upper lip. He grew silent, lost and thought as he contemplated, and the silence stretched, filled with Sephiroth’s mad, violent heartbeat. He felt ready to come apart in Cloud’s hands.

“What about them?”

Cloud sighed. “I’ve thought about ‘em a lot.”

Sephiroth’s heart twisted. “You have?”

Cloud nodded. “Especially lately.” Cloud leaned closer, voice lowering with every second. “Always...wondered what,” Cloud’s lips hovered just a breath away, “it would feel like.”

Sephiroth’s mouth was dry. “Only one way to find out.”

“Yeah.”

Cloud closed the distance and their lips met in an easy, languid kiss. Sephiroth deepened the contact, pulling Cloud close. The feel of his supple, pliable lips against his made him shiver, and he felt Cloud’s hands grip the front of his shirt, probably wrinkling it horrendously.

Sephiroth had never cared less about his clothes in his life.

They broke apart a small eternity later, forehead resting against each other as they caught their breath. Cloud didn’t release his shirt, so Sephiroth didn’t feel inclined to loosening his grip either.

“Just what I thought.” Cloud’s words were a whisper of breath.

“Oh?"

Cloud leaned back in and Sephiroth could feel his smile pressed against his lips.

“Perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was so fluffy. I didn't even know I had this much fluff in me. Also sorry for it being riddled with mistakes, I'm writing all of these stories at the ass-crack of dawn.
> 
> Title is from the song[ Gooey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeo3an2M_Lo).


End file.
